One of Hollywood’s most entertaining BFF duos is back at it, as Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are hyping audiences up for their 2026 movie release The Rip, which is one of Netflix’s big 2026 premieres early in the year. Fan can expect to see a ton of action, as evidenced by The Rip’s latest trailer, but don’t expect to see the two dad-bod-boasting stars scuffling in real life, not even when it was addressed that Damon’s wife originally had eyes for Affleck.
The Dogma co-stars popped up on The Howard Stern Show, a place where only the most wholesome and innocent conversations happen. When the esteemed host asked Affleck if he was present when Damon and future-spouse Luciana Barroso met, the Oscar winner joked that history would have been changed if he had, sparking Damon to share the following anecdote.
You wanna hear something really funny? This is fucking completely true. After we’d been together for probably a few months, I think I met her best friend from high school, and it came out that the two of them saw Good Will Hunting together. And her best friend thought I was the cute one, and she thought Ben was the cute one. So she admitted to me. I’m like, ‘You got the wrong one?’ She told me that 23 years ago.
Anecdote? More like a-necking-dote, amirite? Well no, not really, since there wasn’t any necking involved. But I stand by that pun.
Stern commented on how much that detail from their relationship history must still stick around in Damon’s head, sparking the Bourne franchise actor to respond with:
Well, I remember it now, Howard! [Laughs.]
That’s downright hilarious, especially since it involves the duo's breakout smash Good Will Hunting, in which their characters are more or less competing for the affection of the same woman. Damon's Will won out in that project, and he was also chosen as the victor in real life.
Still, I have zero doubts that Affleck has humorously waved that detail over Damon’s head every time they get together to make a new movie, or to get coffee, or in the middle of the night when Damon is sleeping. This smile is all one needs to see to be convinced. That ol' rascal.
Ben Affleck's Relationship With Matt Damon's Wife Is Largely Professional
Considering how closely Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have worked together in the past three decades, it's understandable that Luciana Barroso and Affleck are also friends, as that would be make for quite a few sitcom-worthy scenarios if Damon had to balance his life while keeping the two apart. No, they're definitely close, and he pointed out that she's even been a boon to his career as of late, saying:
She produced my last movie. She’s a great producer, and a really good friend. I never got that vibe from her, so I think something I did in real life rubbed it off. . . . ‘You know in person, you’re uhhh different.’
Damon and Barroso marked their 20-year anniversary last year, and have been married since 2005. Meanwhile, Affleck's romantic life has been tabloid fodder for essentially that entire stretch, highlighted by his 2005-2018 marriage to Jennifer Garner and his tumultuous 2022-2025 marriage to Jennifer Lopez.
Howard Stern jokingly inquired if it would be a change for Damon if Luciana suddenly ran away with Affleck. The actor laughed, saying:
If my two favorite people exited my life? Yeah, that would suck.
Hopefully nothing about The Rip sucks, though. Directed by Joe Carnahan, the movie follows a group of Miami cops whose professional dynamic and trust implode after they come across a huge stash of cash and have to report it. Sounds like somebody will have sticky fingers, and that it won't go well for all involved.
One of many high-octance action movies we can't wait to see in 2026,The Rip debuts on Netflix starting on Friday, January 16.
